2011 Dodge Charger R/T - First Drive

Ever since the late '80s, rear-wheel-drive V-8 passenger cars have taken a dive in popularity with all but the most fervent enthusiasts. In spite of that, we give big props to Detroit for keeping the candle lit over the years with products like the '94-96 Impala SS, '04-06 GTO, Mercury Marauder, Pontiac G8 GT, and a whole bunch of Mopars starting with the '05 Hemi 300C and Magnum R/T. They are true enthusiast products, but the segment just hasn't caught fire with the mainstream. (Note that we're not talking about the LCBD segment-Last Car Before Death-which currently includes the Ford Crown Vic and Mercury Marquis.)

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Folks seem to be happy with their SUVs, minivans, crossovers, and front-drive jellybeans. For 99 percent of drivers, it just doesn't matter-they just want the right sized box for them, their kids, and their stuff. The shape and performance envelope of the box doesn't matter, and the quality of time spent inside it is equally unimportant. In the end, anybody who doesn't enjoy driving a rear-drive V-8 likely doesn't deserve one, and they sure as heck don't deserve the new '11 Dodge Charger R/T.

3/13The 5.7L Hemi in the '11 Dodge Charger R/T is pretty much a carryover from 2010, and makes 370 hp versus 368 hp in the '11 Charger R/T. Dodge says the Charger's Hemi has best-in-class horsepower.

What Is It?
In case you've been under a rock the past two months-we'll explain. The rear-wwheel drive Charger gets a complete redesign for 2011. The last car was a product of the old DaimlerChrysler merger, and had a lot of Mercedes-Benz mechanicals or derivations thereof. We had no problem with that, mostly because Mercedes-Benz products are built to kick ass and take punishment. Nevertheless, the push is on at the new Fiat Chrysler to banish the German influence, and we're told this Dodge has none of the German stuff. Whatever. The main thing is that the 5.7L Hemi is still underhood with 370 hp. Gone are both of the stupid 2.7 and 3.5L V-6s making 178 and 250 hp, respectively. The only V-6 you can get is the new 292hp 3.6L and that's reason enough to celebrate. An SRT8 version is in the works with the updated 475hp 6.4L Hemi. We'd love to talk about fuel economy on the R/T model, but Dodge is still cooking the numbers. Regardless, look for mid 20s on the highway for the 5.7L Hemi.

The 2011 is pretty much the same in layout to the '10 Charger-killer Hemi, rear-drive, independent rear suspension-but there's a ton of tweaks everywhere. We'd love to say all these tweaks are materially better than the outgoing car, but Dodge's PR materials don't really make direct comparisons to the earlier car, so it's a moot point. One bullet point from the Dodge PR guide that does bear repeating is the new electro-hydraulic steering, which feels really good on the street and at the racetrack. It's go t a faster ratio, it's got a better on-center feel, and it helps fuel consumption. The added negative camber (-1 degree front, -1.75 degree rear) was also a big help on the track. As for the other stuff, I honestly can't feel the difference, but maybe some princess at another mag can feign discerning the pea under that pile of mattresses.

4/13Our first face-to-face meeting with the '11 Charger R/T was at a Dodge press presentation held in San Francisco. It was an incredible sight to see all those Chargers lined up! Note the difference in the grille/trim color-you can get the Charger's grille in either chrome, or black-out trim. Note how the car in the foreground is indeed a Hemi, but with no R/T badge on the grille; there is a Hemi badge on the front fender though.

Who Is It For?
If the '11 Dodge Charger R/T isn't for the masses, then who is it for? It's for power-hungry guys who need to have their cake and eat it too. He's a family guy, with hot rod aspirations. He might have a hot rod or muscle car in the garage that he can't (or shouldn't) drive every day. He may also be a frustrated hot rodder who can't justify having a toy languishing in the garage. Either way, he wants the Hemi's 370 hp to thrust him in the back every day when he stomps on the loud pedal. That's it in a nutshell-although the extra agility is a big bonus. The thing that makes the '11 Charger R/T a "go" in family circles is the concession to four doors, and an option sheet chock full of stuff the kids and wife will love-for a price, of course.

I gotta say, I fit the profile of the Charger R/T customer to a "T." I'm a 40-something married guy with a higschool-age kid and gasoline in my veins. As much as I want to rule the road daily with my big-block '68 Chevelle, there are times when we gotta pick up friends, go to the store, load up some junk, hold a conversation, carpool to school, go on vacation, and get descent gas mileage. (We're talking maybe 26 mpg instead of 8). It's for this reason the wife and I bought an '07 Dodge Hemi Magnum R/T a few years ago, and the LT1-powered Buick Roadmaster years before that. Could we be trading in the Magnum for the new '11 Charger R/T? We'll have to wait and see. The economy is tough, the R/T's pricing hasn't been firmed, and Chrysler's new '11 300C is just around the corner, but the Dodge is good enough to be our first option.

5/13The new Dodge prides itself in banishing the Mercedes-Benz content from the new Charger. Gone is the four-spoke wheel, the Mercedes-Benz-type turn signal/cruise control stalk, and the sea of hard, angular plastic. In their place are more organic curved surfaces, more soft touch points, and all-new one-piece metal instrument panel. Check out the optional 8.4-inch nav/media center screen. Dodge did not show an '11 Charger without the optional screen at the press event we attended.

What Else Is Out There?
Powerful rear-drive domestic sedans like the Hemi Charger are a rare breed. Ford has abdicated the segment (Can you imagine a Crown Vic with the Mustang's new 5-liter?!) and so has GM. (Let's have a moment of silence for the Pontiac G8 GT.) If you buy used, there is the '94-96 Impala SS, the '94-96 Buick Roadmaster, the '03-04 Mercury Marauder, the Pontiac G8 GT, the '05-07 Dodge Magnum R/T, plus used versions of the outgoing Charger R/T and Chrysler 300C. GM will be continuing a Chevy version of the Pontiac G8 as the Caprice PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle), but it will be for law enforcement only. The alternatives are pretty slim, so the segment is wide open for Dodge, with competition coming mostly from itself in the form of the 300C.

The Good News ...
I've never been that big a fan of the looks of the current-generation Dodge Charger, so when Chrysler announced a new version for 2011, I figured it had to be better looking, and boy, is it ever. Here's an interesting revelation told to journalists at the San Francisco press preview: The '06 Dodge Charger was not given a name until a few scant months before production started. Dodge literally needed to start stamping out the badges and said, "uh, what are we gonna call this thing anyway?" The dart landed on Charger, and that's the name we got. Unfortunately, the 2006 looks about as much like a Charger as I look like Tom Selleck. At least the '11 Charger looks kinda like the '68 Charger-inasmuch as the 2011 Tom Selleck looks like the 1980 Tom Selleck.

6/13The first thing you notice is the body side scallop, reminiscent of the '68-70 Charger. Like the original, it is part of the larger double-diamond form that creates a pinched, Coke-bottle shape in the center.

By taking inspiration from the '68-70 Charger, Dodge has endeared itself to an entire generation of car nuts, including us. (Pause for a second and imagine Buick doing a rear-drive V-8 Skylark that actually looks like a GS Stage I, or Ford doing a '69 Torino that looks like a Talladega. Yeah. Not gonna happen.) In the profile, you can see the side scallops in the doors, and from the top, you can see the twin scallops in the hood-both key styling elements from the original. You can also see the Coke-bottle form-sometimes called a double-diamond shape-that pinches the car in the middle where two tapered wedges converge. There's even a slight tunnel-back shape in the rear glass that was a defining element in the original. Unfortunately, the tunnel-back aerodynamics of the original were so horrendous (NASCAR racers abandoned it in 1969, changing to the flush-window Charger 500 body) that we can never go back to that. Still, they tried as much as they could. The taillight panel is perhaps the crowning jewel of the entire design-164 tiny LEDs rim the circumference of a completely retro lighting valence that looks even better than the '70 Charger it takes its cue from. The taillight panel is a masterpiece of design that will turn heads for many years to come.

Dodge also reduced the size of the wheel openings, which dramatically improves the Charger's profile. The '06-10 model had huge tire caves that tended to look ridiculous if anything but 20-inch wheels were used. The 2011 looks good with smaller shoes, but even more bitchin with the 20s. Speaking of the wheels, aluminum alloys are standard on all Chargers. If you want steelies, you'll have to order them from an aftermarket vendor. There's also a lot more softness in the interior; gone are the hard gray angular plastics, and in their place are soft touch points and rounded surfaces. A single-piece dash panel with a bezel made from stamped aluminum is supposed to simplify assembly and reduce "misbuilds," but once again, we never had problems with the old one.

7/13Another great design touch is the pair of recessed hood scallops-again, like the '68-70 model. Note how the nose ends in a more pronounced point compared to the '06-10 Charger model.

The Bad News ...
The weight. For some reason I haven't figured, but for which there are mountains of excuses by engineering types, new cars are always heavier than the old ones they replace. My '68 Chevelle weighs a beastly 3,666 pounds with me in it, and other car guys brow beat me for running it heavy. And that's a heavy car? The '11 Charger R/T tops the scale at 4,253 pounds, which is 222 pounds heavier than the Hemi-powered '10 Charger R/T, yet the horsepower rating of the '11 Hemi only goes up 2 hp (from 368 to 370). This extracts a painful toll in performance for acceleration, turning, and braking. Even if you can finesse another 5 percent more power from the engine (about 18.5 hp) to counteract the 5 percent increase in mass, you still gotta turn and stop the monster.

The extra weight is ostensibly to make it stiffer and safer. PR skulls from all car companies have this memorized. In fact, cars are now so stiff and so safe from the extra pork, they should-1) Bear more than a passing resemblance to a bank vault, and 2) Allow us to survive a head-on crash against anything short of a freight train. Every year, more weight is added, and the powertrain guys pull a rabbit out of the hat with more power without sacrificing economy. Here's what should be happening: Cars should stay the same weight or get lighter, and the increase in engine efficiency needs to go to the mpg ledger, not to the power ledger, with the result being faster, better-balanced cars with greater fuel economy. One can only dream. Some day it will happen, but that day is not today, and that car is not the Charger.

8/13Perhaps the most memorable design element on the '11 Charger is the LED taillight assembly. Cribbed from the '70 model, it's pure, sexy form. The rear spoiler is nice for younger buyers, but is a delete option if you're a more traditional Charger guy.

To be fair, the Charger R/T is not a track car, nor can it become one for any reasonable sum of money while keeping its family use mandate. Even with that being the case, the Charger is a remarkably agile sedan, but only in the context of the street. As a family truckster, the Charger has plenty of 'nads for taking on highway exit ramps, making passes on two-lane roads, or taking twisty mountain curves at eight-tenths. Most hardcore gearheads, however, are going to feel the extra weight in the seat of the pants in a straight line. The Charger R/T is no Camaro/Mustang beater, so just go into this with your eyes wide open. For what it's worth, the new Charger will be a spectacular blank canvas for the aftermarket. Blowers, cams, exhausts, cold-air packages, big brakes, springs, adjustable shocks, and sticky rubber will push the Charger over the goal line-but at a price that will be pretty steep.

On The Track
I give credit to Dodge for letting us journalists beat up their junk on world-class racetracks. Dodge is particularly good about this-in the past five years they've invited PHR five times to thrash different Hemi cars at triple-digit speeds. It's a little known fact, but it's a rare occurrence when some scribe doesn't stack up a preproduction hot rod by hitting an apex too early and drilling it into a wall. Automotive writers are screwballs who never got real jobs, and Dodge knows it, yet they still invite all of us to the party. I'm sure my day is coming, but so far, I'm knocking on wood.

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This time Dodge rented Infineon Raceway-Sears Point to those who haven't drunk the sponsorship Kool-Aid. The first thing I was thankful for is the R/T's really supportive, highly-bolstered seats. Sears Point has some gnarly twisties and the Charger gobbles them up like a Bengal tiger on a rib eye. That is to say, the act isn't very graceful, but if you're the tiger, it sure is fun, and it happens in a flash. Yes, there is some body roll, but no more than a new Camaro SS. The underlying suspension geometry makes the Charger extremely predictable, and the extra negative camber dialed in by the factory gives the marginal-sized tires some decent bite. The crux of the problem is that for a car of the Charger's girth, the tires would need to be impossibly wide and the suspension impossibly stiff to even approach, say, the lap times of a new Mustang 5.0. The '11 Charger can, however, kick the snot out of whatever SUV, FWD jellybean, truck, or minivan you might be driving now.

10/13With the door fully opened, it is impossible to close the door if your seatbelt is already buckled. We can't ever remember a car that had such a long reach to the door grab handle. This was not an issue with the '10 Charger. Check out the soft armrest padding and the sculpted, padded door recesses.

I'm an eight-tenths driver behind the wheel of someone else's car-and I found the brakes more than adequate for braking deep at the end of a high-speed straight. Riding along with a more experienced driver with a more adventurous attitude showed some weakness in the brakes, but only after three or four really hard laps. (We were on the 1.99-mile NASCAR circuit, and that's pretty big praise for such a heavy car.) For the record, we did drive the '06 Dodge Challenger R/T on Virginia International Raceway's south circuit. Even with four years separating the experiences, we'd have to say both cars behaved too similarly to tell any difference; the improved suspension geometry and stiffness of the new Charger is sufficient to disguise the more than 200 pounds of extra mass, and that practically qualifies as a miracle.

Should You Buy It?
Irrespective of the weight issue, I am smitten with the '11 Charger R/T's looks. There's never been a sexier domestic four-door sedan, ever. (Make mine in the new Toxic Orange Pearl Coat with chrome trim, the rear spoiler delete option, and 18-inch rims.) There's also something about pulling for the underdog that I like. The new Chrysler is a relatively lean company, and that hungry, risk-taking environment just produces better cars. The Hemi kicks ass as it always has, the styling is cutting edge yet classic, the interior is top notch, and your wife won't kill you if you trade in the minivan or Suburban for it. If I didn't already have the Magnum R/T, and if the price was right, I'd be signing for one right now. I also think the styling successfully draws the fine line between being too futuristic and being too conservative. The Charger should look good for a long time to come-something to ponder when you're staring at a $600-per-month, five-year bank note.

11/13The seats in the Dodge Charger R/T are reasonably supportive, and held us in well during our on-track hot laps. The center console is a big upgrade from 2010 and includes (optional) heated/cooled cupholders under a retractable bellows.

If you're a family guy and you desire street cred with the muscle to pull off the look, the '11 Dodge Charger R/T might be your car. In the old days, Buick guys called it "going fast with class." Heck, you might even be able to keep the new Camaro SS within sight if we're talking corners and not a straight line. If you're looking for a commuter that doubles as a serious weekend track car, the '11 Mustang GT 5.0 is the only smart way to go-and less expensive, too. There is one other option to consider: If you like the outgoing '10 Charger, now is a great time to pounce on one. Since there is no appreciable improvement in performance for the '11 model, your decision maker will be the looks, and possibly the price-which hasn't been announced on the new model. When we find out, we'll tell you.